This invention relates generally to a shroud cover for a trigger actuated pump sprayer, and more particularly to a shroud of one-piece molded thermoplastic material forming an articulated clamshell-like element.
Many of the known trigger actuated pump sprayers have a pump body of a molded thermoplastic material which includes a pump cylinder for the reception of a reciprocable pump piston which together therewith defines a variable volume pump chamber. The pump body includes an inlet passage leading to the pump chamber and a discharge barrel defining a discharge passage leading from the pump chamber and terminating in a nozzle on which a nozzle cap is mounted having a discharge orifice. A trigger lever is pivotally mounted to the pump body for actuating the pump piston upon a squeezing of the trigger, and a container closure cap is coupled to the pump body for mounting it to a container of liquid to be dispensed. One type of trigger sprayer has an open-fronted shroud which is provided for covering the pump body, the shroud being snap-fitted to the pump body in a known manner.
The shroud cover may be provided with a rear saddle, i.e., a rearwardly extending horizontal wall defining a shelf which rests upon the upper side of the operator's hand between the thumb and forefinger for supporting the trigger sprayer and the liquid filled container to which is it mounted. Examples of such ergonomic sprayers are found in design patents 409,487, 409,917 and 409,918, commonly owned herewith.
Such an open-fronted shroud having a rear ergonomic feature is becoming more difficult to mold as a unitary one-piece member. Adding to the complexity of molding the shroud as a one-piece construction is the provision of additional side ergonomic features such as that disclosed in co-pending application Ser. No. 09/660,476, filed Sep. 12, 2000, entitled Ergonomic Trigger Sprayer Having Side Saddle Supports, commonly owned herewith.
Moreover, there are demands for contrasting two-tone colors for such open fronted shrouds having at least a rear ergonomic feature. Or it is desirable for the lower portion of the shroud to be of a softer and more compliant thermoplastic elastomer compared to the remaining upper portion of the shroud, to thereby provide a "soft feel" or "soft touch" for the operator during use. A further desirable feature for the shroud design is side striping or the like on the upper portion of the shroud for customer appeal purposes.
Heretofore the approach taken in providing ergonomic shroud covers having one or more of the advantages or features aforedescribed, was to mold the shroud as two units, upper and lower, and thereafter snap-fitting the units together. This approach, however, is labor and capital intensive requiring not only additional molding steps but added sub-assembly procedures.